Feta and Pistachio with Black Pepper: A Turkish Meze

This creamy spread for bread is another meze I discovered in Istanbul. It’s a quick dinner party appetizer too. I never saw the word feta in Turkey; only cheese. Feta means slice, so feta is probably our interpretation. Their “feta like” cheese is always white, but creamier and less tart. When I developed this recipe I added yogurt to a nice quality Bulgarian feta from our local cheese and wine shop, Eastman Party Store. Eastman’s has made the world of difference in our lives in Midland, Michigan. It has more international flair than any other local shop!
I’ve also made this with the Presidents brand feta which was great too!

You can make this as thin and creamy as you like. A spoonful maintains it’s shape, but it can definitely be spread on a slice of French like baguette. Add more yogurt if you like. Have fun with this new combination of ingredients! Use all 4 teaspoons of the black pepper! It’s the key in this recipe!

As it sits in the frig it may dry out a bit. Add more yogurt to keep it spreadable. It stores well up to a week.

In a small bowl combine with a spoon until well blended.

8 ounces whole milk feta, cut into tiny squares

6 oz or about 1 1/4 cups shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

4 teaspoons black pepper

1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt

Add more yogurt for a creamier consistency. Spread on Naan, a Middle Eastern flatbread

All the ingredients you’ll need. Notice the bag of shelledpistachios!

Feta sliced into 1/4 inch cubes

Roughly chopped pistachios

The feta and pistachios

A brand of yogurt very close to the Turkish yogurt in Istanbul

The nutrition label of the whole milk Greek yogurt. 14 grams of fat is about a tablespoon per cup